Lissy (1957)

 Konrad Wolf's "Lissy"


By the time Konrad Wolf released his 1957 film "Lissy," there were quite a bit a films about Nazism and the fight against it. However, "Lissy" bares the distinction of being from a uniquely German perspective. The film centers on the titular Lissy, a working-class Berliner, who marries a clerk named Alfred. After being fired by his Jewish boss, the normally apolitical Alfred joins the Nazi party. As Hitler gains power, Lissy is forced into circumstances where she must choose between economic disenfranchisement and aligning with the Nazis and her husband.

Although much of it is overly simplistic, "Lissy" still manages to illustrate the temperament happening in Germany during the rise of Naziism. There are plenty of emotional elements in the film to draw the viewer in and plenty of dramatic relationships throughout to keep them engaged. The film is a stark look at how everyday people, even neighbors and husbands, can be pushed to extremism through sheer intimidation, destitution, and sometimes even complacency. 




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